Much Ado About Blood Pressure Cuffs
by tterrafirma
Summary: For one assignment, Sakura has to find someone willing to have their blood pressure taken. Ino, her roommate, suggests that she find that lab partner she never shuts up about. In the process, Sakura goes through botheration to complete her assignment. College AU. Written for sasusaku month and published on my Tumblr, rooroomc.


"You've been looking for someone to do your homework on for two days, Forehead. Seriously, if you'd come to the party with me tonight, I'm sure someone would be a willing guinea pig."

"Ino, you of all people know that I would never bring a blood pressure cuff to a party." Sakura flipped onto her stomach and buried her face into her pillow. "Plus," she mumbled, "isn't it just happening in someone's dorm room? How do you expect it to be a good time when-"

"It's one of those double ones, you know. Where four people live in one room. It's in the newer buildings, too, so it's nicer. And," Ino grinned wickedly, "I heard that dark haired boy you've been talking about would be there. Sasuke was his name, right?"

"Pig, no. I'm not taking my chem lab partner's blood pressure at a trashy party in a four-person dorm."

"Fine," Ino frowned. "But isn't the assignment due tomorrow?"

A low, frustrated moan came from the direction of Sakura's pillow. Pushing up off the bed, she walked over to where Ino was standing in front of the mirror. Sakura matched Ino's frown with a more pronounced pout. "I don't have anything to wear to this occasion," she argued.

Ino's countenance changed drastically. "Guess I'm your fairy godmother, Forehead.

* * *

Hours later- after what felt like three pounds of makeup had been applied under the assurance that "it would be too dark to see your eyes otherwise, Forehead" and a dress a size too small had been precariously zipped shut- the roommates walked into a comparatively large living space.

Music loud enough to inhibit thought while quiet enough to not rouse the RA's attention hit Sakura's ears and dampened her mood. It would be hard enough to see the cuff's readings already, she didn't need music loud enough to detract from any conversation with her victim. Patient. Patient…

Sakura scanned the room quickly and leaned into Ino's shoulder. "Sasuke's not here yet," she yelled over the din.

"Who?" Ino was already two drinks into her night. At her weight, Sakura knew that her roommate wouldn't be too long before she was unintelligible and unlikely to cooperate with basic requests.

She had to find Sasuke, proposition him with having his blood pressure taken, and then drag her friend out the door before she became an intolerable drunk.

At the end of the hour, no Sasuke was in sight, Ino had somehow disappeared in the crowd of bodies, and Sakura was tired of the way her underwire dug into her ribcage. Walking out of the dorm room, she clutched tightly her stethoscope and blood pressure cuff angrily like it was the source of all evils.

* * *

Sakura woke up the next morning a cranky mess. "Chemistry is at 9, if I can just bother Sasuke before class starts, I'm golden…" She mumbled obscenities under her breath as she shrugged on a short sleeved shirt and shorts. "No open-toed shoes," she mocked the teacher's warnings.

Running to class, the instruments of her own torture clanging around in her backpack, she told herself it would all work out fine. Sasuke was always early, after all, and he had never missed a day of class.

She felt relieved to see him sitting at the lab station they shared, looking boredly at the apparatus set up before him. Sakura slumped down in her chair and set her backpack on the floor. "Can I ask you a favor?"

He glanced her way, eyebrow raised. Sasuke never was much of a talker, after all, and Sakura found that despite his reputation for being emotionally detached, it was closer being unsure how to relay his emotions. Underneath the cold exterior, he was a helpful lab partner and someone she could depend on in times like these.

She smiled his way and, taking her stethoscope and blood pressure cuff, continued in her plea. "I have homework that needs doing and it requires an extra set of arms."

A wordless procedure followed. Sasuke held out his arm, rolled up his shirtsleeve, and Sakura carefully wrapped the cuff around his bicep. The stethoscope slid under the cuff and after a few quick seconds, the results were written down in a notebook and the machinery put away.

"Thank you so much, I've been trying to find someone to practice on for days…" Sakura's voice trailed off as soon as it began.

"No problem. But," he squinted in her direction, "don't you have a roommate?"

Sakura's face, and consequentially, mind, went blank. "I never thought about that." Kicking herself inwardly over how ridiculous that sounded, she tried to cover herself with, "Ino always talked about getting you to help me so I never really considered her an option."

A small smirk played out on Sasuke's face. "Well, if you ever need another guinea pig, call me." The smirk disappeared as he realized the implications of what he said. "I mean, if you want help, I'd-"

Sakura gave him a warm smile. "I might need you for drawing blood later on this week."

"I've heard coffee shops are good places for that," he remarked, glancing back at the lab set up for the day with renewed interest.

The smile on Sakura's face grew. "You know, I've never heard that."

He chuckled slightly. "Me neither."

* * *

 **A/N:** I've been away from fanfiction writing for quite some time now, haven't I? So sorry about how short this is, too. I wrote this about a month ago and published it on Tumblr, but I've just been sitting with this in my drafts for quite a while... Please leave me a review and let me know what you think! Thanks so much for reading!


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